Jar Of Hearts
by Living.Like.A.Boss
Summary: Pharaoh Poseidon's son, Percy, is of the perfect age to get married off. Although Percy was male, he's been raised and marketed as a princess his entire life, due to a blessing from the goddess of childbirth Tawaret, on the day of his birth. And now, it was time for him to choose his suitor. Nicercy. Egyptian AU.
1. Prologue

**Jar Of Hearts**

**Summary: **Pharaoh Poseidon's son, Percy, is of the perfect age to get married off. Although Percy was male, he's been raised and marketed as a princess his entire life, due to a blessing from the goddess of childbirth Tawaret, in the day of his birth. And now, it was time for him to choose his suitor. Nicercy. Egyptian AU.

**Warning(s): **Feminisation of the character Percy Jackson, Mpreg, Crack-ish at times, Angsty at others

**Author's Note: **For Takara Phoenix's Nicercy Summer Contest. Loosely (very loosely) inspired by 'Dark Horse', Katy Perry, and a Chinese History Lesson on Ancient Egypt.

* * *

_Prologue_

Percy knelt in front of his father, listening quietly—the very picture of obedience—as his father told him about the courting proceedings that he would have to go through. However, though Percy was calm on the surface, his emotions were bubbling like an inferno within. He had just found out that he would have to get married off soon, that there would be a man who would be taking him as 'his wife'. And he was scared, to say the least.

"The Introduction Ceremony should be held the following week—"

Percy knew that he should be thankful that his father, the Pharaoh Poseidon, had waited until he was sixteen before marrying him off, and that he was even giving Percy a choice, but the anxiety still buzzed in his veins. Since he was considered a woman in the eyes of many—he _wasn't _though, and he still detested the fact that some people treated him as such—Percy should have been married off at age twelve, or at the latest, fourteen. He also should not have a choice in his suitor at all. Usually, if a man wanted to get his chosen one as his wife, all the dealings would be made through the father.

"—I expect you to know all of the necessary procedures—"

He wasn't a normal case though. Percy was born a male citizen (Prince, actually, but he didn't want to think about that right now) of Egypt, but his was different from the other men. Percy could get pregnant.

He didn't really know _why _he had the ability, but he knew what his parents told him. Apparently, the Goddess of Childbirth Tawaret had blessed him on the day of his birth with the ability to bear children. And from then onwards, Percy had been raised as a Princess, instead of the Prince he was. Which meant he stayed in the castle and learnt how to tend the household with his mother while his brothers went to school and apprenticed for a variety of trades. His older brother, Triton, was in the process of courting his own chosen at the moment, at the common age of twenty.

"—your mother will show you the ways you should act—"

Percy had wondered before why he could not just be treated as a male. He was one, after all, in all the technical sense of the word. The only thing that differentiated him from the rest of the male populace was his 'blessing'. And that secret could have been easily kept, no one would have known if his parents have not announced it to the entire kingdom.

His father had explained his reasoning to him when Percy had brought it up in a moment of impulse once. Ignoring Percy's blessing would have been considered a sign of disrespect to the goddess and she would have cursed the land with infertility if he did not utilize his ability. And the natural course of action would be to raise Percy as a female so that he could get married off and bear the children of a noble—or another prince from some other kingdom.

Percy saw no fault in the reasoning. He would have to do his duty to his kingdom. He would not subject the kingdom to a curse by disagreeing with his father's decisions and better judgement. He just wished—

"—I will show you which are more appropriate according to their social standing—"

Nothing. He didn't wish anything. It was not his place to wish.

_It isn't all bad though_, Percy tried convincing himself. He would get to choose his partner, even if they would be the ones bringing him gifts and singing his praises, not the other way around. Some people would even say it was a privilege. Percy ignored the fact that he didn't feel that way at all.

_At least I am not adverse to the idea of being with a man. _Percy had never experience sexual desire before. He doubted he was supposed to. He had never felt—what did Triton call it?—a stirring in his groin when he looked at the female form. And he hasn't been in the presence of many men besides his immediate family, so his attraction might lean towards men. Which is good.

"Do you understand, Perseus?" Poseidon finally ended his briefing (although, if Percy could use any word to describe the speech, it would be anything but 'brief'), staring at him, eyes sharp and piercing.

Percy bowed forward, his head touching the ground, and answered, "I understand father."


	2. The Noble Nico

_Chapter One—The Noble Nico_

Nico glared, though he was looking at his bare feet so his father could not see. It was okay to feel anger towards a parent but it was absolutely unseemly to openly display your disrespect.

Gritting his teeth as his father went on happily about how marrying the 'princess' would help raise their nomes' standing, Nico made to interrupt.

"I am sorry Father, but I don't recall ever agreeing to this arrangement," he finally said, causing his father to cease his ramblings.

His father, Hades, turned dark eyes onto Nico. Hades was the noble who ruled over the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt, which, by default, made Nico a noble as well. Their Nome's hieroglyphs was that of a black dog and they were quite the outcast compared to the other nomes since they considered Anubis the second most sacred god—inferior only to Ra—instead of, say, Bast (the Cat Goddess) or Horus (the War God). However, though they were looked down upon by several of their neighbouring Nomes, they were strong and feared at the same time.

Nico could understand where his father was coming from; planning to join their family and thus, their Nome's name, to the Pharaoh was a clever maneuver. But, what was really pissing Nico off was that Hades didn't even confide in Nico, didn't ask for Nico's opinion and just expected him to do it. He was asking for Nico to _court _and _marry _someone he did not know—and Nico did not want to do any of it. Once again, Nico felt like his father's pawn.

_But I am, aren't I? _Nico thought bitterly. Still, Nico wasn't going to give in without a fight. He was stubborn like that.

"_Son," _Hades said in a menacing tone. "This is for the good of our Nome. You _will _go through with this."

"I won't," Nico replied, eyes sparking defiantly. "I do not want to get married Father. _Especially _not to someone I do not know."

"He's the Pharaoh's son! What else do you need to know?" Hades exclaimed, in a rare moment of uncontrolled emotion. "This is a golden opportunity and you would be a fool to throw it away."

Nico scowled, turning away from his father. "I need to know if I can love him, of course. No good can come out of a relationship when there is no love."

"Your mother has been filling your head with those foolish notions again," Hades muttered under his breath. Raising his voice, he continued, "You are already twenty-two Nikolas. You are too old to further indulge in your futile beliefs. Just trust me. Go to the Introduction Ceremony, at least."

Nico bit his lip in contemplation. His father wasn't forcing him, was actually giving him a choice (although Nico was sure that if he still responded in negative after Hades' compromise, the next few days would be hell). Nico wasn't obligated to do anything besides go for the Prince's Introduction Ceremony. Nothing more. Besides, who knew? There was always a possibility that Nico would find someone he could love during the journey to the Great House.

Somewhat reluctantly, Nico replied in the affirmative, before taking off to his sleeping quarters, his mind abuzz with conflicting thoughts. He would have to make the appropriate preparations.

Behind him, Hades gave a triumphant smile.

* * *

Stepping out of the boat, Nico whistled at the sight. The sight of people carrying cargo and bargaining wasn't much different from back at home but unlike Upper Egypt, the Great House—which was situated closer to the First Nome of Lower Egypt—was surrounded by lots of greenery. It was sort of beautiful, Nico had to admit.

_Maybe this trip will be worth my while, _Nico mused, admiring the scenery. He wasn't one for travelling but it was refreshing seeing a new sight once in awhile.

He scanned the crowded marketplace, clad in the wear that pronounced him of higher status—his kilt's design elaborate, made of finest linen—and had to stop himself from blushing as people turned to stare at him occasionally. He might be a noble and all but he did not like getting attention. He probably should have thought about that before and dressed in clothing that didn't draw so much attention.

Sighing, he gestured for the two men he brought to assist him to take his stuff and find accommodation for the night. The Introduction Ceremony was not starting until tomorrow and his stay at the Great House as a possible suitor would only begin then.

As his men went away, Nico decided to roam around the marketplace and investigate the area.

* * *

Nico has been walking for quite awhile, his feet tired and his face sweaty. The sun was setting soon and he probably should get to his temporary dwelling for the night. Nico closed his eyes, stopping in his place to yawn, when he was suddenly knocked into by a figure coming out from nowhere.

"Ack – !" Nico cried out. "Watch where you're going, would you?"

The figure—a young man, he realised, maybe even a teenager—started apologizing profusely, his head bowed, trying to keep his face out of Nico's view. "So sorry—I'm just in a rush and didn't see you. Sorry!"

Nico just stared at him, wondering why the youth was so flustered, and said, "It's okay. Just watch where you are going next time."

"Thank you," the raven-haired teenager breathed, lifting his head to give Nico a grateful grin. Nico gasped. Even under the dim light the setting sun provided, the youth's green eyes—so foreign yet so beautiful—stunned Nico.

Hearing Nico's gasp, the youth started and ran away, for reasons he couldn't understand. Nico wanted to chase after him because he was sure the leap his heart made when he peered into those green eyes meant _something_. Might even mean love. Yet, he didn't. He just continued staring at the place where the young man once stood, confused at what had just taken place.

* * *

Percy ran as quickly as his legs could carry him.

_Shit! _He cursed in his mind. _He must have recognized me!_

Percy was not supposed to be outside the Great House, especially not so late in the evening that nightfall was right around the corner. However, he had specifically chosen this time so he wouldn't get caught, the darkness acting as his shield.

_But you managed to let someone see your face. _Percy berated himself, _Stupid._

He just hoped that whomever he had bumped into wouldn't alert the guards or anything. It wasn't that Percy was doing anything _bad—_he wasn't running away or anything as drastic as that. However, he would not be able to get out of the House without sneaking out, so staying hidden was essential.

It was just—the weight of the revelation that his Introduction Ceremony was _tomorrow_ scared the wits out of him. He had spent the days leading up to this studying from his mother and father about what was expected of him and he needed someone who could talk to him without judgement. Impartially. And the only one who came to mind was his best friend, Annabeth.

She was older than him by a year and was married to a Luke or whatever, and lived in the First Nome, Lower Egypt. As a child, before Percy had to realise his responsibility and do his duty, he used to go outside quite a lot to play with the other kids. He usually hang out with the girls though—the other boys' parents either thought he would spread his 'feminine curse' to their children, thus making sure they didn't go near him, or urged them to play with him so that they could get closer to the royal family (and in that case, his mother advised him to stay away from them)—and Annabeth was the one he most trusted and still (sort of) kept in touch with.

_I just need to talk to her, _Percy thought. _Maybe she can get rid of all my nerves. _

_Yes, _he thought as he caught sight of Annabeth's home ahead. _Maybe she can help me._

* * *

**I hope I got my facts right...Researching more about Egypt was fun =)**

**Either way, I hope you like this chapter and please review if you have anything to say!**


	3. The Introduction Ceremony

_Chapter Two—The Introduction Ceremony_

The rising sun was making its appearance known, the early morning light basking the Nile in a brilliant yellow and seeping into window cracks to dust away sleep from people's eyes.

However, two people were never asleep to begin with and the sun meaning the end of night regrettably meant the end of their meeting as well.

Percy was sad to leave Annabeth's house—after all, it's been six months since he last saw her and with his marriage (to whomever) nearing, he doubted he would be having another reunion with her anytime soon—but he was glad that he got to see her, and that he got what he came for.

Annabeth had thought it was a pity that his father was marrying him away in such a fashion—she was quite a radical believer in free and equal rights for all—and had comforted, as well as encouraged, Percy.

"It won't be too bad," she had said. "My father had set me up with Luke and I'm happy here. You get to choose who you want to be with. So, make the choice that would make you happy, Percy."

Now feeling at ease after receiving Annabeth's advice and words of comfort, Percy headed back to the Great House.

He yawned into the cloth covering his face (that he borrowed from Annabeth's house, he had just learnt that one could never be to careful when trying to hide their identity from others) and quickened up his pace.

The Introduction Ceremony would not start until late evening, as it was traditional for it to be held right after a scrumptious feast, in the privacy of the Great House with only the suitors, the courted, the courted's father, and a few guards—which could sadly not be said for the Gift Presentation Ceremony, Declaration of Intent Rite, etc. to come. So, if Percy hurried, he could probably squeeze in a few hours of much needed sleep.

It would be disastrous if he were to suddenly fall asleep in the middle of the ceremony, after all.

* * *

Percy was in a battlefield and war was raging all around him. He was fazed for a while, confused on what was going on. Egypt was currently in a period of peace, all the Nomes living together in harmony, leaving behind the small revolts of prior years when fighting for resources was necessary, since the crops that year failed, a result of the previous Pharaoh angering the river god Hapi. Turns out Hapi wasn't very happy when a Pharaoh failed to provide him with the yearly sacrifice.

But that aside, the Nile had been doing its job rather well at present so Percy didn't quite understand why there was a war going on.

Or more importantly, why he was in the front lines. He panicked for a second. Although a Pharaoh's second son—which Percy was—usually entered the army since their older brother would be next in line for the throne, Percy was majorly unprepared for this. With his honorary female status, he had never been trained; his teachings had all been about being a proper 'wife' in the future, with absolutely no mentions of fighting or survival tactics.

Percy swallowed harshly and decided he should utilize one of his teachings: When unsure of what to do, ask politely for direction.

He walked up to a nearby soldier, ready to ask what he should do when—

—he suddenly woke up to one of the servants in his room shouting at him to awaken from his slumber.

"—Wake up, princess! The Ceremony is starting in a few hours and we still have to dress you up, and the Pharaoh requests that you allow him to give you a few last minute instructions—"

Percy groaned. Although he was glad that the war had been a dream and he was not as worried as before about the Ceremony due to Annabeth's reassurances, Percy couldn't help but feel that he just went **(1)** out of the pyramid and into the desert.

* * *

Nico stared at the Great House, feeling half in awe and half resigned. Now that he thought about it, he really, _really _didn't want to go through with this. In fact, what Nico wanted to do was to search the nearby area of that fateful encounter so that he could seek out the mysterious stranger with the mesmerizing eyes…

Okay, did that sound creepy? Was it unnatural that he was already feeling so obsessive over someone he didn't even know the name of? Nico brushed of the thought. Nah, Nico was perfectly normal.

Anyway, it was about time for his introduction. He was one of the last few to be announced since they went in order of which part of Egypt one came from (Lower Egypt first, then Upper), and then the Nome number. Nico had to resist the urge to yawn. It was so _boring._ And unnecessary, considering that Nico was planning to sabotage his chances, anyway. Then he would be free to search for his runaway stranger. He just had to get through this.

"…Octavian, Son of Augustus, Priest hailing from the Tenth Nome of Upper Egypt."

Nico readied himself; his turn had come.

"Nico, Son of Hades, Noble hailing from the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt."

Nico entered the throne room, bowed to Pharaoh Poseidon, and took his place at the end of the long line of suitors. It was actually quite intimidating, the number of people (Nico counted roughly thirty or so) wanting to win the Prince's hand. Nico was quite relieved that he wasn't here to put up much of a fight.

He shut out the rest of the names the announcer droned on about and allowed his mind to wander outside of the ceremonial proceedings, green eyes taking up his thoughts…

"And now, the Princess Perseus, Son of Pharaoh, of the Great House."

Nico snapped out of his thoughts as he realised that the Prince was entering. Slowly, a slender figure revealed himself, gliding into the room and positioning himself on the seat left to the Pharaoh.

_Ah, _Nico thought absent-mindedly. _That must be the Prince. His body is quite pleasant to look at, although I'm still really not interested._

The Prince scanned the room's occupants, head shifting from one end of the line to the other. But when those eyes landed on Nico—_green, unforgettable and…fearful_?—the Noble immediately knew he had to eat those words, as well as throw his entire action plan to sabotage his chances out of the window.

* * *

**(1) This would mean 'from the frying pan and into the fire' in modern speech. I'm trying to Egyptian-ise everything—even though I'm not even sure if a standardized method of measuring time existed back then. Oh well.**


	4. Unwanted Reunion

_Chapter Three—Unwanted Reunion_

_It's him, _Nico's mind screamed. _That's him._

The enchanting stranger he had met turned out to be the Prince he was sent to woo and marry. It was funny how fate worked, really.

Now, Nico had to find a way to compete with thirty over people for the Prince's hand, since he honestly was very struck by their first meeting—like love at first sight, or perhaps it was a blessing from Hathor, the goddess of Love. Nico didn't know and he truly didn't care at the moment.

All he knew was that he wanted to hold the Prince in his arms and call him his.

This strong feeling aside though, Nico really had to work out a plan. He hated to admit that his father had been right about anything—yes, he was rebellious even though he should be way past that stage by now—but he wanted the Prince. Perseus, that was his name.

Nico vaguely wondered if the Prince would one day allow him to shorten 'Perseus' into a variety of endearing nicknames. _Percy, Perce, Cici_..._and he would call me by a pet name as well—_

Oh, but Nico was getting ahead of himself. Very far ahead. His attraction—a still rapidly growing fascination—to the Prince was worrying, if it was causing him to daydream about something like that. He knew he didn't have any great selling points besides his Nome's efficiency in warfare, since the rest of it was what caused other Nomes to dislike them so. Thus, it was obvious that he would need to be as charming and charismatic as possible. That would be a little difficult for him to pull of, especially considering the fact that most people found him to be threatening and unapproachable. And looking at all the other, more eligible people in the room…

It would be hard to win the Prince's hand.

But Nico was nothing if not persistent. And he never backed down from a fight.

* * *

Percy sat on the throne as each of his suitors went up to him, kissed the back of his hand, introduced themselves to him and proceeded to boast about their good points, as well as monologue about why they would make a good husband for him. Most of them really just went on and on about their wealth and superior standing in society, something which Percy couldn't care less about. Except for the fact that it was what his father had told him to look out for.

The green-eyed Prince had been listening attentively at first. However, with every single man talking about basically the same thing, he started to tune them out, their speeches all blending together into an incomprehensible mess in his mind.

And his eyes kept darting towards the man near the end of the line, the one with the dark, obsidian eyes and messy black hair. Don't get him wrong, it wasn't because he was so attracted to the other man that he couldn't tear his eyes away—although, the man had very handsome features, as well as a fit figure—it was because it was the stranger that he had bumped into on his trip to Annabeth's house, the one who had saw his face.

A slight shiver ran down Percy's spine. He hadn't realised the other man was so stunningly gorgeous, since he had not been able to see his face clearly in the light of the setting sun. Even so, he had hoped to never meet the person he had bumped into ever again.

He didn't know, maybe the man was a good person that would not tell anybody about his late-night excursion—okay, phrasing it like that sounded wrong—but there was a chance, no matter how slight, that the person would blackmail him.

Fear struck Percy's heart as he contemplated that. He knew that the man remembered him—he had seen the flash of recognition in his eyes—and he could use said information to bring harm to Percy.

But Percy was thinking the worst of the man, wasn't he? Percy really hoped that his previous preconceptions of the man would not be the case.

Percy swallowed hard when it was the man's turn to come out.

The man bowed low, his head perking up so that his eyes would meet Percy's. "I am Nico, Son of Hades. I come from the great Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, my Prince." He took Percy's hand in his and kissed it, his lips lingering on the pale skin.

Percy swore his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't just because that kiss, that should have been the same as any other, had evoked some peculiar emotions and reactions from Percy's body, it was also due to the fact that he had called Percy _Prince. _Not Princess like the rest have done.

It felt amazing that someone besides Annabeth thought of him as a male and not female, it really did. Percy found himself listening, absorbed, to what Nico had to say for himself, how he would bring himself across in an appealing manner. He had already set himself apart from the others in Percy's mind, because of that one word.

_Maybe I've gotten a completely wrong impression of him. He might be the one I'm looking for, _Percy mused.

* * *

Straight after the Introduction Ceremony, all the suitors were sent to their respective resting places, and Percy was sent back to his room. Percy had really wanted to talk to Nico, since he had made such a strong impression on Percy during the Introduction Ceremony, but it was not allowed. Interactions between Percy and the suitors were forbidden outside of the courting procedures, they were only allowed under the watchful eyes of his father.

So, Percy had no choice but to go back to his room as ordered. Sighing to himself, both dreading and anticipating the next day's events, Percy went to his bed and fell asleep.

He woke up to find himself in the same battlefield as before. This time, he was not as disoriented as before and immediately went to the nearest soldier to ask for instructions. However, the soldier paid him no mind. In fact, the soldier seemed to look right through him.

"Hello," Percy asked tentatively, deciding to give it another try. Maybe physical contact could get a response. "Could you kindly tell me what I should do—?"

Percy took a sharp intake of breath as the hand he had attempted to put on the soldier's shoulder just passed right through. Just like that. As if he was intangible…

_What's going on? _Percy thought, panicking inside.

He scanned the battlefield he was in, looking at the soldiers on his side—all with severe, determined expressions on their face—before staring at the opposition.

It took him no less than a few seconds to realise that the enemy were not from Egypt. They all appeared foreign.

This wasn't just another case of civil unrest. This was an invasion.


	5. Declaration Of Intent

_Chapter Four—Declaration Of Intent_

"_No!_" Percy shouted, jolting awake. The guard outside of his room dashed in, weapon at the ready.

"What's wrong?! Princess, was there an attack? Show yourself!" the guard asked, scanning the room for any impending danger. Percy stared at his surroundings, feeling dazed. Oh, it was just a dream again. But—it just felt so real.

_A nightmare, just a nightmare, _Percy thought to himself, slowing down his breathing. It was strange, how he had been getting this sort of dreams ever since he was told that it was time to be married off. Maybe it was the stress taking a toll on his psyche.

Percy noticed that the guard was still in an offensive stance, ready to protect Percy from the non-existent enemy. "I'm sorry," Percy said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "There's no attack. I just had a nightmare, that's all. Sorry for the false alarm."

"No problem, my Princess," the guard said, bowing to Percy before exiting the room to return to his post.

Percy sighed, thinking a little about his dream. He was glad it wasn't real, of course he was. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if his dream became reality. The legions of troops he saw…Egypt wasn't ready for that yet. Not without preparation. Egypt lived in peace at the moment and most Nomes didn't focus on warfare, preferring to direct their energy to more important things like agriculture or building grand monuments for the gods. As they should. If a Nome focused too much on making weapons, the surrounding Nomes' Nobles would feel threatened, assuming that they were trying to usurp power and would do the same until everyone was feeling paranoid, which was a definite way to spark a civil war.

Putting his head back onto the headrest, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep.

* * *

Percy had to stop a yawn from escaping. It was the second day of the courting process and the day's event, the Declaration of Intent Rite, was completely pointless in Percy's eyes. It was pretty much the same thing as the Introduction Ceremony except it was more official as it would be in front of priests from all the different temples, the Vizier (his father's advisor), and scribes. Priests to ensure the proceedings had the gods' approval; the Vizier was there to give his opinions on each suitor so that they could make a ranking list and the scribes to write it all down.

He was sure that there would be less people than yesterday, not because they went home willingly (even if they disliked the idea of being with a man, Percy was sure they would just marry him for the power of having their name associated to the Pharaoh's) but because his father dismissed them.

Yes, his father had the right to do that, even though ultimately it would be his choice (how many times have Percy told himself that, he didn't know). His father would order away the ones he thought were unsuitable for Percy. Perhaps their status wasn't good enough—there had been a few scribes and merchants yesterday and though Percy was fine with marrying one (Annabeth had married the son of a merchant and she seemed happy enough), he was sure they had been given a one-way ticket home nonetheless—or maybe their name had been besmirched sometime in the past.

Secretly, Percy had hoped with all his heart that Nico was still in the running, before feeling guilt immediately after. It was favouritism; he wasn't supposed to have made a choice so early in the procedures. Not only was he supposed to be fair, and give everyone an equal chance, but also setting his eyes on someone would only hurt him if the person did not please his father enough to stay on.

And Percy had been so relieved to see that among the few who were allowed to stay (around half of the original number of people), Nico was there, standing in the line like before.

The repetition of it all was irritating to say the least and in addition with not getting sufficient enough sleep last night, Percy was dangerously close to just giving in to his lethargy. It was not like he was going to miss anything anyway. However, that was, without a doubt, a very bad idea. Terrible one, in fact.

If he got caught, which was likely since there were about a hundred people witnessing the Rite, it would reflect horribly on his family. Unacceptable behaviour like that would just result in punishment, and that was not what Percy wanted to face.

So, he strained to keep his eyes open. To help himself, Percy found that watching Nico stopped his eyes from falling shut. A lot of the time, Nico would return his gaze and keep the eye contact, and they seemed to have a silent conversation that way. Percy felt like he could read his mind that way. However, Percy wished that he could have a _real _one but he would have to wait until the fourth day or later depending on where Nico was placed in the rotation and even then, it would not be private. Percy had momentarily harboured the idea of meeting Nico in secret before mentally slapping himself for such a rebellious thought.

Aside from that, the jittery feeling in Percy's limbs played a part in keeping him awake. It was strange. Perhaps it was because he was in a place with so many people but he felt as if he could sense all of their bodies, their presence was like a constant buzzing within Percy's mind. It was so strange, not to mention disorienting.

But at the very least, he did not doze off.

It was hard to imagine that at the end of seven days, he would be married off. Going with tradition, he was allowed seven, the symbol of perfection, to bless his choice with perfection.

He hoped he would make the right decision in the end, he really did.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update. But on the bright side, it could have been worse XD ****I was inspired to write this chapter after watching Exodus (because of all the Egyptian scenery). There was one scene though, where the Pharaoh slept on the type of pillows we have today with silk coverings and everything, and I was confused because - did they really have those back then? But just to be on the safe side I went with headrest instead.**


	6. Gift From A Goddess

_Chapter Five—Gift From A Goddess _

It was now Nico's turn to walk up to the Prince and declare his intent in front of a hundred people and boy was he nervous. The Prince had been staring at him throughout the entirety of the proceedings, with those beautiful green eyes of him, leaving Nico to constantly wonder whether he was singled out because the Prince liked him or because the Prince _didn't._ It was quite nerve wrecking, honestly.

Nico would have sworn the Prince smiled his way a few times and it seemed as though the Prince was trying to communicate with him in a way, but who knew? Nico's imagination was a weird, dark place.

As he slowly walked towards the throne and performed the proper greetings to the priests, the Vizier, the Pharaoh, and finally Prince Perseus, he started talking. Like the previous day, he talked about his Nome, their successes, his own personal successes (it wasn't much and he didn't like to boast but he's come in first in many tournaments of weightlifting and swimming) and the like. He did add in a minute or two about what type of husband he'd be and how he would try his best to take care of the Prince. Because he believed in love and he wanted the Prince to know that he would treat him right. If Nico wasn't right for him personality-wise then, well, at least the Prince had made an informed decision.

Nico saw a small sparkle in the Prince's eyes when he talked about the things other than his achievements so he figured he had done something right. Sometimes being a little bit different was good, a fact that made Nico's heart flutter with hope. Maybe, he could do this. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to win the Prince over.

Since Nico was one of the last suitors to get their turn, after four or five more speeches later, the Rite came to an end. It was late afternoon by then and while Nico and the other suitors, as well as the Prince, was asked to leave, the other "more important" people stayed behind. Nico assumed that they were about to send home some of the suitors, just like the last time. He wasn't a fool. He could clearly see that at least half of the people were sent home and he was a bit worried. The Prince didn't seem to be part of the decisions at all. So it appeared that instead of appealing to Perseus, he would have to be seen as an attractive asset to the Pharaoh.

But he believed in real love. Pure love. He didn't want to be part of this play in politics. That was his father's forte. Not his.

Thus he would keep trying to win over the Prince's heart instead of focusing on the rest. It would seem contrary to his interests but at the very least he would be staying consistent to his beliefs.

The suitors were then led to a separate room and was told that they were to get their gift prepared for tomorrow. It did not matter if they brought it from their home Nome (which all the suitors had done, as they were all familiar with the courting ritual… except for Nico, because he hadn't been expecting to continue with the courting in the first place) or not. A gift was required, no matter what. So Nico decided to return to the marketplace. Who knew? Maybe there was a treasure just waiting to be found. And Nico hoped that he would be able to find the perfect gift.

* * *

"Uh!" Nico cried out in pure frustration as visiting yet another store yielded nothing. Don't get him wrong; there had been many beautiful things that he had seen. Just… not good enough. He wanted something that would be worthy of the beauty of the Prince. Oh yes, he sure was a sap when he came to love. Weird, when you considered that his Nome was the one that worshipped death.

Nico had gone to about twenty different stores and he still hasn't found a gift yet. The sun was setting and a lot of the shops were closing and Nico's worry was increasing. If he did not get a gift by today, he was out. Eliminated. Disqualified. No exceptions. And Nico didn't want to lose due to such a stupid reason. Really, how ridiculous would that be?

Either way, he needed to find a good gift and _fast._

"Hello sir? Are you looking for something?" A voice came from behind him. Nico turned around in shock and saw a woman behind him, dressed in what looked to be expensive clothing. The type that a priestess would wear. But priestesses rarely left the temple and when they did, bodyguards usually surrounded them since priestesses were usually promoted to Oracles, a position so very important to their country. Putting one in a dangerous situation was stupid and usually resulted in the one careless enough to let the priestess leave to be sacrificed to the gods.

So she probably wasn't a priestess… Nico replied, feeling rather cautious, "Yes. I am actually looking for a gift—"

"Say no more!" the woman exclaimed, interrupting Nico mid-sentence. "I see in your eyes that this gift is for a loved one… a wife, perhaps." Noticing Nico's blush at her words, she nodded, eyes twinkling in excitement.

"I always approve of a good marriage. Here, I think I have the perfect thing for you. And I do believe that your wife… could use a little magic in his life." The woman chuckled, as if she had just made a joke, making Nico more and more confused. He wanted to correct her, to tell her that he did not have a wife and that he was not, in fact, married, but he figured that what she was saying, at least had a bit of truth to it. He wanted to get a present for a loved one and it looked like this mysterious woman could have something good to offer him.

She handed him a necklace, with a cobalt blue ankh symbol on it. At first, Nico thought it was made out of obsidian or ebony but when he touched the symbol with his fingers, he realised that the amulet was encrusted with blue gemstones.

It was beautiful. Truly beautiful. And Nico could already imagine the necklace hanging around the Prince's neck. Nico let out a dreamy sigh as he stared down at it. It was going to be very expensive but Nico knew it would be worth it.

"I'll take it," Nico said, looking up, only to find the woman gone.

_Where did she go? _Nico wondered, looking to the left and to the right. He ran around the area, trying to find the woman but to no avail. She had just… disappeared.

So, with the necklace in hand, he headed back to the Great House, the strange encounter still buzzing in his mind.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait! :3 But at least I updated, right? **

**So, who do you think the woman was? I thought made it pretty clear when describing the gift (and after doing extensive research on Ancient Egyptian gods) so I hope most of you got it!**


	7. The Suitors

_Chapter Six—The Suitors_

By the time he arrived back to the Great House, it was time for dinner. This wasn't like the previous feasts though. Although it would still be a full, sumptuous meal, this time, instead of having dinner with the royal family, the meal would only be between the remaining suitors. Nico really wanted to skip it. Socialising… that was undesirable beyond compare. Having to talk to his romantic competitors was going to be… unpleasant. And yet, after ensuring that the gift was safely in his room, he went anyway. After all, this was probably going to be his only chance to size up his competition before they went into rotation dates with the Prince. The more charismatic a suitor was, the greater the chance he would stand in Nico's way. That was unacceptable.

Don't get him wrong. He wasn't planning to kill them off or anything—just maybe a few prayers to the gods. For them to get sent away. That's all.

All because his Nome worshipped the God of Death didn't mean he wanted to murder people.

He walked into the dining room designated for the suitors, scanning the room carefully. He recognised the faces of a few of them, though their names wouldn't come to mind. Sitting himself between two blonds, he almost slammed his face down to the table in boredom. And he would have done so too if he hadn't felt the need to keep up a dignified front.

Surprisingly, Nico wasn't the last one to arrive so his agony was unfortunately prolonged, what with the unspoken rule that a feast could not begin until all guests have arrived. It was terrible. Seriously, the nerve of some people.

_Anyway, _once all the suitors _finally _arrived, the dinner started. But honestly, Nico's evening didn't improve. Everyone was talking around him while he stayed silent and just ate. He really couldn't wait for this to be over. In fact, Nico started to daydream about tomorrow's Gift Presentation Ceremony, all thoughts of sizing up the competition forgotten. About how he'd stun and amaze the Prince. Surely, the Prince would love his gift. Love it so much that after the Ceremony, everyone else would be sent home, as the Prince would already know whom to choose.

"Um… hello? Are you okay?" One of the blonds next to him asked. Those words pulled Nico out of his daydream, much to his annoyance.

"_What?" _Nico replied, sending the person a death glare. "What exactly do you want?"

Looking at the blond, Nico could also see that he had blue eyes. The mark of the elite. The mark of the gods. So out of place in Egypt, really. Nico could actually feel a tinge of envy inside him. Not that he actually wanted to have those outstanding traits—it looked pretty unnatural to him—especially since it would be almost impossible to hide and would draw a lot of unwanted attention. But in this race for the Prince's hand, it would definitely be an added benefit. The Pharaoh would probably look out for someone like that. The royalty all had those abnormal bright eyes. Even his beautiful Prince. What if the gods chose someone similar for the Prince?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," The person said while putting his hands up into a 'surrender' position. "You're a grumpy little fella, aren't you? A bit mood swingy too… Tutu not treating you well?"

"I'm _fine. _Why did you even bother talking to me in the first place?" Nico spat.

The person shrugged. "_Well, _if you really must know, you were smiling in a very weird way. It just seemed like something that you needed to be snapped out from, I guess. Plus, you're the only one not talking. Just thought we could strike up a conversation, you know? Make friends?

"Oh and my name's Jason, if you want to know. Just putting it out there."

Nico furrowed his eyebrows, feeling confused. The fact that he did not introduce himself by his title, or his father's name, was weird, to say the least. Even Nico, who didn't much care for his title, always announced his title first. Quite informal. Nico had no idea why but it made it easier to trust this 'Jason'.

Nico sighed. "I'm Nico. And to be honest, I wasn't talking because I didn't want to. But if I _must_…"

Jason shook his head in amusement. "Wow, you're a downer. Don't really know how you're the Princess' favourite… Still better than that arrogant fool though." Jason gestured to the pale blond on Nico's other side. "Man, he wouldn't stop bragging."

Nico only heard up to 'Princess' favourite' before his brain tuned out. He was about to ask Jason about that off-handed statement but was interrupted.

"I can _hear _you, son of Zeus," the aforementioned blond said, in an almost bored tone. "It's really immature to bad mouth someone behind their back. And it's not bragging when it's _true."_

"Oh sorry _Octavian,_" Jason mocked, causing Octavian to scowl at the use of his first name, stripped of his title and all. "Didn't mean to offend you. Wait, except I _do. _And I wasn't bad mouthing you behind your back. I absolutely _meant_ for you to hear it."

"Why am I even talking to you?" Octavian said, exasperated. "My words are clearly wasted on you."

"_Your _words are wasted on _me?_ _Really? _Well—"

Nico went back to eating his meal. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to ask his question for a while.

Though he couldn't stop hearing those words in his head…

Could they actually be true?

* * *

Percy felt exhausted. So tired, in fact, that he skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

However, once Percy lied back and closed his eyes, he was immediately transported back into his weird interconnected dream. He was right back where he was the last time, staring out into the battlefield full of foreign soldiers. Fear pierced his heart once again. It didn't matter that he knew it was a dream. Dreams weren't _just _dreams, after all. Every dream held a bit of truth in them. Especially if it ran like a storyline. If he didn't know any better, Percy might have guessed that some god or goddess was trying to communicate with him…

"You finally figured it out." A voice came from behind Percy, startling him. He turned, only to see a woman, whose stomach seemed to be enlarged. Almost…swollen. Pregnant. This was definitely not normal.

Percy pointed to himself, feeling unsure as he said, "Are you talking to me?"

The woman nodded.

"You can hear me?" Percy asked in disbelief. He had thought that no one could interact with him in this dream.

The woman nodded once again. Only this time she disappeared right after, before appearing right next to Percy, hand on his shoulder.

"Of course I can hear you. After all, I'm the reason why you're here."


End file.
